Morris E. Adelstein (Northwestern Engineering Company) Papers

Morris Adelstein was born in Des Moines, Iowa on June 2, 1894. His parents had immigrated from Russia and settled in Des Moines, Iowa. His mother Bailey Adelstein Martinsky homesteaded land in South Dakota in 1910 and moved with her youngest daughters to Kadoka, South Dakota. Morris Adelstein graduated from Highland Park College in Des Moines with a degree in englineering. After serving in the Army as an engineer during World War I, he joined his mother in Kadoka and was elected as the county engineer for several counties. In 1924, Morris Adelstein and a banker fromed Northwestern Engineering Company. In 1928, the Adelsteins moved to Rapid City, South Dakota in 1928 and to Denver, Colorado in 1945. The company constructed many of the highways in South Dakota, the Beaver Creek Arch bridge in Wind Cave National Monument, and much of the Ellsworth Air Force Base. His son Stanford Mark was born on August 19, 1931 in Sioux City, Iowa. After serving in the Army Corps of Engineers, Stanford joined the company and became president in 1968. The collection has many photographs of road and bridge construction between 1910 to 1953.

Dates

Other: between 1910-2005

Creator

Extent

Scope and Contents

The Papers contain nine folders and one book, Paving the Way: The Life Morris E. Adelstein by Howard Shaff and Audrey K. Shaff (1970). There are eight folders of photographs and one folder with two issues of The National Jewish Monthly magazine (1944-1945).

Biographical / Historical

Morris Adelstein was born in Des Moines, Iowa on June 2, 1894. His parents Meyer and Bailey Adelstein emigrated from Russia in 1890 or 1891 and settled in Des Moines. Meyer and Bailey separated and Bailey married a second time, but in 1910 left her second husband and homesteaded land in the Dakota Territory. Bailey Adelstein Martinsky moved with her two youngest daughters to Kadoka, South Dakota, where she started a store. Kadoka is near the Rosebud Sioux reservation. Morris and one of sisters remained in Des Moines. In 1916, Morris graduated from Highland Park College in Des Moines with a degree in engineering. Morris enlisted in the army in 1917 and was assigned to the 528th Engineers, where he became company clerk. After serving in France and Germany, he was discharged in 1919 at the rank of lieutenant. After the war, Morris joined his mother in Kadoka and was elected as the county engineer for several counties.
Morris married Bertha Greenberg on 27 Jan 1924 in Sioux City, Iowa. Bertha Greenberg, daughter of Aaron Greenberg and Julia Miller, was born in 1904 in Russia. In 1924, Morris Adelstein and a banker formed Northwestern Engineering and the company flourished. Northwestern Engineering Company constructed many of the highways in South Dakota, the Beaver Creek arch bridge in Wind Cave National Monument, and much of the initial construction of Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Stanford Mark Adelstein was born on August 19, 1931 in Sioux City, Iowa. Robert Adelstein was born in Rapid City, South Dakota on December 8, 1934. In 1945, the Adelsteins moved to Denver and became active in Temple Emanuel. In 1947, Morris Adelstein became involved with illegally supplying arms to Palestine before Israel became a state. Morris Adelstein helped create the General Rose Memorial Hospital. He was active in the Children’s Asthma Research Institute, National Jewish Hospital, the Denver Chapter of the United Jewish Appeal, and was on the executive committee of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC). Morris Adelstein died on December 17, 1968 in Denver, Colorado.
Stanford Adelstein met Ita Korn at Temple Emanuel in Denver, Colorado while he was freshman at the University of Colorado. They were married on December 19, 1952. Stanford Adelstein joined Northwestern Engineering in 1957, after serving in the Army Corps of Engineers. Stanford Adelstein and his family moved to Rapid City, South Dakota, where he became president of Northwestern Engineering Company in 1968. Stanford Adelstein was a South Dakota State Representative and Senator for many years. He is also active in helping the Lakota Sioux in South Dakota, particularly in helping developing future engineers.

Related Materials

The Robert Adelstein Papers, B332, contain material from Robert Adelstein and Bertha Adelstein. A folder on the Lavender Hill Mob ( nickname for the gun running group) is in the Beck Archives Organizations collection, B118.